SOC212 - 10. LGBTQ Flashcards
Some Basics
LGBTQ
LGBTTIQQ2SA
Queer
Some Basics
Sex - assigned by birth
5 Diff sexes - intersex, male, female
Doctors decide sex by genitalia
Some Basics
Gender Identity - how you see yourself
Biology + socialization
How you interpret what that means
Some Basics
Gender Expression: how you demonstrate gender in relation to gender norms
Act, talk, dress, behave, interact
Spectrum - feminine to masculine
Roles vary by region, time, culture, ethnicity
Some Basics
Sexual Orientation / Identity
Physically, emotionally, spiritually attracted to - straight, gay, bi
Master status - contours everything else
Some Basics
Sexual identity and behaviour do not always line up - experimentation
Sexual Behaviour
MSM: Men have sex with men
History of Homosexuality
The term homosexuality:
Became popular in 1869 when Benkert defined it as a failure to achieve “normal erection” during contact with a member of opposite sex
History of Homosexuality
Homo + hetero had negative connotations because it meant sex outside of marriage
Homosexuality vs Homosexual Behaviour
History of Homosexuality
Destigmatize homosexuals
Relatively new
Now seen as part of who you are
History of Homosexuality
John D’Emilio: capitalism enabled homosexual identity
• Capitalism & Gay Identity
• Need for free labour - allowed ppl to come out
History of Homosexuality
• WW2, homosocial spaces
• Homosocial spaces: genders were isolated - men with men, women with women
• After war - could financially support own
Before capitalism - was there, but less shown
History of Homosexuality
• Existed throughout history
Ppl who self identify
The Development of the Notion of Homosexuality
Sociologists identify a LGBTQ people as those who self-identify with the category and acknowledge the label
• Problems with the term homosexual:
• History of medicalization + Stigma
The Development of the Notion of Homosexuality
Tend to use gay, lesbian
Laws say same sex
Views of Homosexual Behaviour
Historically and culturally, attitudes towards homosexual behavior have varied.
• Ancient Greece & Rome
• Some not acceptable, some are
Views of Homosexual Behaviour
• In ancient greece, it’s normal to have same sex partners
More about full citizen - can have sex with ppl who were not citizen
Views of Homosexual Behaviour
• Deep emotional connections with same sex
We invented homosexual and heterosexual
Legal term called imbrotherment (same-sex marriage)
Views of Homosexual Behaviour
Etoro, Papua New Guinea: ritualized homosexuality
Notion that boys go through getting life-force by ingesting semen from other men
Sexual Norms & Homophobia
• Society labels homosexuality as deviant by initiating + reinforcing sexual norms.
• Critics of homosexual behaviour (and LGBTIQ people) mainly focus on religion
Sexual Norms & Homophobia
• Such behavior deviates from “normal” family situations by distorting general sex roles in society.
Sexual Norms & Homophobia
• Behaviour not inherently deviant, it’s labels that make it deviant
• Critics mainly focuses on religion
Goes against sex roles
Homophobia & Stigma
• Individuals who are LGBTIQ frequently become targets for social stigma and rejection by members of society.
Homophobia & Stigma
• Homophobia refers to a fear and dislike of lesbians and gay men and includes avoidance of anything associated with homosexuality.
Homophobia & Stigma
• Can be systemic and supported by law
• Social institutions - same-sex marriage
Tax laws
Origins of Homophobia
• Some link the origins of homophobia to religious doctrine linked to homosexuality and to theories of psychological maladjustment.
Origins of Homophobia
- association between strong Christian beliefs and intolerance of homosexuality.
- Others argue the rejection of homosexuality strengthened the Christian community at a time of struggle within that group (Greenberg,1988).
Origins of Homophobia
• Religious scriptures may condemn somesexual behaviors but not all (Geis, 2009).
• Strengthen bond and unify religious groups
Moral panic
Social Dimensions of Homophobia
- Studies on homophobia have examined religious background, strength of religious identification, and political conservatism.
- Studied guys that beat up homosexuals - they were turned on watching gay porn
- Internalized homophobia
Social Dimensions of Homophobia
- Homosociality: Social preference but not erotic attraction to own gender
- Few LGBTIQ view themselves as deviants yet stigmatization from members of society result in negative effects for LGBTIQ folk such as:
Social Dimensions of Homophobia
- Feeling guilty for their behaviors.
- Fear of negative sanctions from family members, friends, and employers.
- Feelings of rejection and isolation.
Law and Public Attitudes
• Canada - Capital punishment
• Laws forbidding homosexual behavior began with sex codes of the Jewish faith.
Law and Public Attitudes
- Formalized by Christian laws that governed Europe.
* These provisions became part of English common law.
Law and Public Attitudes
- Homosexual behaviors were punishable by death. In the mid-19th century, reforms reduced the maximum penalty to life imprisonment.
- Then reduced to life in prison
- Seen as sex offenders
Law and Public Attitudes
- Decriminalized in 1969 (1967)
- Same sex between consenting adults decriminalized
- Still laws around things that gay men do - anal sex, fellatio, sodomy - until 2003 in Texas
Demographics
Prevalence of Homosexuality
• Different research studies have found 1% - 10% of
the population self-identify as LGBT
Demographics
• Legacy of medicalization
• May not be inclined to disclose sexual orientation
25-45% and 20% have reached an orgasm from same-sex
Demographics
• Cities - more likely to self-identify
New York - 6% + Chicago - 15%
Age - younger ppl 6x more likely to identify than seniors
• Cultural, racial, ethnic groups - diff norms and values around sexuality
Demographics
• Kinsey Scale
○ Ppl are on spectrum of exclusively hetero to homo
○ 37% had homo contact, only 4% stayed homo
Demographics
• Animal Kingdom: gay penguins, lions, monkeys, dolphins, bed bugs
Becoming LGBTQ
Biological Perspective: Psychology, biology
• Studies on physical brain anatomy
Becoming LGBTQ
- Studies on DNA
- XQ28 - mother’s side - families with two gay brothers
- 67% of gay brothers had this chromosome
Becoming LGBTQ
- Each additional older brother increases chance of being gay
- With each miscarriage - increases chance of having male homo
Becoming LGBTQ
• Studies conducted on the biological perspective have had preliminarily and limited findings.
Sex-Role Socialization
• Sexuality is a social constructed phenomenon which is learned through interactions with others.
• Masculinity & femininity
Sex-Role Socialization
• Socialization takes place within context of sex roles. Sex roles (sometimes called gender roles) are collections of norms that define socially accepted male and female behavior.
Developing a LGBTQ Identity
acquisition of a gay identity is a subtle and private process that occurs at different times for different individuals.
Developing a LGBTQ Identity
- Primary deviance – homosexual behaviour
- Secondary deviance - gay identity
- Coming Out
Developing a LGBTQ Identity
- Not one answer to homosexuality
* Relationship to sexual identity both psychological and sociological
LGBTQ Subculture
LGBTQ subcultures represent collections of norms and values. Such a subculture creates conditions that permit, value and celebrate ‘homosexuality’.
LGBTQ Subculture
- Reaction to dominant society
* Tertiary deviance - Values + celebrates Queer culture
LGBTQ Subculture
• Members come to learn these norms as part of the coming out process, and exposure continues in social situations that involve other LGBTQ persons.
LGBTQ Community
development of the LGBTQ community was a reaction to dominant society’s intolerance, prejudice and rejection.
LGBTQ Community
Also grew from a desire to weaken stigma imposed by dominant culture (tertiary deviance).
•Made possible by Women’s movement
LGBTQ Community
- Grew out of HIV epidemic
* Expression of rage and reaction to epidemic
LGBTQ Community
•Corporate element - often don’t have kids and have extra money
Characters in tv and movie are more nuanced for queer
Transgender
transgender refers to people whose gender identity or gender expression do not match their biological sex.
Transgender
Being a trans person has little to do with sexuality. Many trans people are heterosexual.
Used to be more about medical aspects
Transgender
More about ppl’s experience, effect on family
•Umbrella term
• transexual
Heteronormativity & Syndemics
Heteronormativity
Asserts that it’s only norm
Can see it in how society structured, institutions, behaviour, politics, economy, language we use
Heteronormativity & Syndemics
Internalized Homophobia
Stigma
Social stigma can manifest in ppl’s lives
Heteronormativity & Syndemics
• Syndemics: multiple health problems, epidemics reinforcement
○ Depression, homelessness, HIV, body dysmorphia
○ Disproportionately high risk of getting these
The HIV/AIDS Epidemic
37 million people living with HIV (PHAs) globally (UN, WHO 2014).
• 39 million people have died.
The HIV/AIDS Epidemic
- In 2014, 2 million people became infected and 1.2 million dies of AIDS related complications
- Important role in development of LGBT community
The HIV/AIDS Epidemic
• Association with gay men, but not accurate
It’s not as detrimental as it was - can be lived with through medication and healthy lifestyle
HIV Infection Rates, 2014
- Been going up since 2000s
- Not a death sentence
- Manageable illness
HIV Infection Rates, 2014
- In Canada: aboriginals 15%, yet 4% of pop
- Blacks account for 17%, but 6% of pop
- Young women and seniors - increasing rates
- MSM - going down
